Gene Simmons ‘Wrote Two Songs’ With Ace Frehley for Former KISS Guitarist’s Next Solo Album

Last year, KISS fans received a pleasant surprise when learning that Ace Frehley and Paul Stanley had teamed up for work on Ace's covers record, Origins, Vol. 1. The two collaborated on Free's "Fire and Water" and now Gene Simmons has linked back up with the Spaceman as the two recently wrote a pair of new songs together.

Simmons was interviewed on Facebook Live on KQRS, speaking about his current activities as well as fielding questions submitted by fans. When asked if KISS were going to write new material (video below, 18:21 in), the bassist revealed, "Well, I suppose at some point. But literally two days ago I was with Ace, who's not in the band — he used to be in the band three different times — and we wrote two songs. He asked me to write for his next solo record. So I went over to his place, way out in the desert some place and we wrote two things. And eventually [KISS] will go back in [the studio to make new music]."

"But there's no great incentive, because the record industry, the entire thing, is so dysfunctional," Simmons said, echoing previous statements regarding future music. "You work hard and you get paid and if we're going to work a year on a record, I want get paid too. KISS is not a charity. We make a difference between what we do personally and as a band. We buy houses for vets, we supply jobs, we give money to charity, but that's because I want to give. I don't want anybody deciding that our art, our music, our concerts [are] free because 'you have enough money,'" he continued.

Rumors intensified that Ace would be making his long-awaited return to KISS toward the end of last year and into the beginning of 2017, but have died down in recent months. In February, Paul Stanley nixed the idea, stating, "I have no thoughts of revisiting the past" while Frehley put the odds of a reunion at 50-50 just a couple weeks later.

In related news, KISS icon Peter Criss (who has been out of the band since 2004) played his final U.S. gig earlier this month on June 17, neutering the chances at a complete stateside KISS reunion. Footage of the drummer performing "Beth" can be seen here.